Iran, China Stress Enhanced Cooperation on Peaceful N. Technology

The issue was raised in a meeting between Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi and senior Chinese officials, including Chairman of China Atomic Energy Authority Xu Dazhe.

During the meeting, the two sides underlined development of cooperation to utilize peaceful nuclear energy.

The AEOI is willing to develop cooperation with Chinese Atomic Energy Authority on construction of small new power plant with the capacity of 100 megawatts with cost-effective expenses in light of the capability to generate electricity for limited area, produce industrial steam plant and desalinate water.

Salehi and Xu underlined the construction of such power plants to generate a total amount of 1,000 megawatts electricity to supply to the national grid.

The two officials assigned related experts of both countries to consider necessary grounds for the development of cooperation.

Salehi and his accompanying delegation arrived in Beijing on Wednesday morning.

In relevant remarks on Wednesday, Salehi said Tehran was conducting negotiations with Beijing to construct two 100-MW nuclear power plants.

“We are in talks with the Chinese over the construction of two 100-MW power plants,” Salehi said, addressing AEOI staff in Tehran.

He also referred to the contract signed with Russia on building two other nuclear power plants, and said, “God willing, the construction work will start this year.”

Salehi expressed the hope that 4 new nuclear power plants would start workshop operations in the next 3 to 4 years in Iran as well.

He also referred to Tehran’s achievements in nuclear talks with the world powers, and said, “They failed to materialize all their objectives, at least in technical aspects.”

In relevant remarks in April, AEOI Spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi announced that Iran and China would partner in the construction of nuclear power plants.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran plans to produce at least 190,000 SWUs (Separative Work Units) of nuclear fuel at the industrial scale, while we also think about 1,000,000 SWUs, which will be needed to fuel 5 power plants like Bushehr (nuclear power plant),” Kamalvandi said, addressing a meeting dubbed as ‘an Analysis of Lausanne Statement’ in Tehran.

“This is the reason why we have inked an agreement with the Russians to construct two nuclear power plants for the generation of electricity while the Chinese will also enter this arena soon,” he added.